The Research and Postgraduate Centre congratulates master student Lau Siew Kei and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yong Wai Fen from Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Energy and Chemical Engineering for their recent publication in the Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, an SCI Q1 journal with the latest impact factor of 7.7.
This is a collaborative research with Nanjing Tech University and Xiamen University. Lau Siew Kei and Dr. Yong Wai Fen are the paper’s first author and corresponding author, respectively.
In the paper “Sustainable fabrication of zwitterionic nanofiltration membranes with enhanced antifouling performance using sugar”, a green solvent and a bio-monomer called fructose were integrated into the membrane’s substrate and selective layer, respectively. The membrane was then fabricated using a facile interfacial polymerization method, with the incorporation of a zwitterionic monomer named 1-(2-hydroxyethyl) piperazine propane sulfonate (HEPPS) to enhance its antifouling properties. Various analytical techniques were employed to examine the characteristics of the resulting membrane. The combination of fructose and HEPPS in the selective layer led to a synergistic effect, significantly increasing water permeability of the membrane while maintaining an impressive sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) rejection rate of 99.1%. One of the most remarkable features of the zwitterionic membrane was its superior antifouling properties. After 2.5 cycles of filtration, it exhibited a flux recovery ratio of 97.7% and 93.4% for bovine serum albumin and lysozyme, respectively.
These findings hold great promise for the design of future membranes with enhanced antifouling properties and excellent separation performance, all achieved through environmentally friendly and sustainable manufacturing processes.
